Opportunities For Inclusion Research Articles

The Hospital Classroom: An Opportunity for Educational Inclusion

The Hospital Classroom: An Opportunity for Educational Inclusion

"On an island by myself": implications for the inclusion of autistic students in self-contained classrooms in public elementary schools.

Autistic students have limited access to inclusive classes and activities in their schools. Principals and special education teachers who directly teach and administer programs for autistic elementary students can offer critical insight into factors, such as educators' attitudes, that may impact inclusive opportunities in schools. These attitudes may serve as barriers to or facilitators of promoting an inclusive school setting. Semi-structured interviews with 26 elementary school principals and 26 special education teachers explored their experiences implementing evidence-based practices for autistic students (pivotal response training, discrete trial training, and visual schedules) in 26 self-contained classrooms in the United States. Autism-specific culture and inclusion emerged as a theme, which was analyzed for this paper. An inductive approach to thematic analysis revealed principals' and special education teachers' perspectives regarding the "autism-specific culture" in the school, including attitudes towards and inclusion of autistic students in self-contained classrooms in the broader school environment. Analysis of text related to "autism-specific culture" detailed aspects of inclusion, factors (i.e., barriers and facilitators) affecting inclusion, principals' and special education teachers' attitudes towards autistic students placed in self-contained classrooms, attitudes of other school staff towards teachers in self-contained classrooms, and recommendations to support an inclusive school environment for autistic students. Results suggest that valuing "equal" access to classes and activities for autistic students in self-contained classrooms may not be sufficient for promoting an inclusive school environment, Educators may benefit from targeted strategies to facilitate inclusion. Strategies range from supporting educators' attitudes and knowledge of autism to shifting physical aspects of the school environment (e.g., location of classrooms). Additional implications for supporting the true inclusion (i.e., inclusion that goes beyond physical inclusion) involves of autistic students in self-contained classrooms schools are discussed.

The ideological tug-of-war of language policies in the Philippines: perspectives and proposal

ABSTRACT Implementing mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) in the Philippines opens opportunities for learner inclusion and access, which is also in harmony with UNESCO's Sustainable Development Goal 4 aimed at achieving quality and inclusive education for all. However, recent attempts to revert to Filipino–English bilingual education foreground the ideological tug-of-war that continues to impact policymakers, researchers, educators, and, most importantly, Filipino learners. As the bilingual model is believed to be valuable to economic and technological growth, the role and relevance of MTB-MLE in a globalized world are challenged. We argue that language views espousing covert dominance continue to permeate language policy discourses in the Philippines, which can impact classroom learning and instruction. Hence, this article analyzes the historical milestones of languages in education and looks at how linguistic imperialism is entrenched in language policies. It also situates language use in the Philippines within a broader sociolinguistic context in which it operates. The article concludes with an inclusive framework on language policy implementation, the Naverin (national, vernacular, and international) model, proposing a balanced view of using various linguistic resources, which might be relevant to other multilingual societies in Southeast Asia.

Transforming Pakistan's Agriculture Sector through Fintech: Opportunities for Financial Inclusion and Sustainable Development

This study investigates how fintech solutions can increase financial inclusion for smallholder farmers and other stakeholders in Pakistan's agriculture sector. Using a thematic literature review, the study identifies effective and sustainable fintech solutions and explores the challenges and opportunities for scaling up these solutions. The study found that digital platforms for loans, payments, and market linkages have the potential to provide farmers with greater access to finance and other financial services. To promote financial inclusion, the study recommends that policymakers, investors, and fintech startups prioritize the development of fintech solutions that address the specific needs of smallholder farmers and other underserved communities. These solutions should be designed to promote trust and transparency to ensure their long-term sustainability. The study also calls for greater collaboration between the fintech and agriculture sectors to develop innovative solutions and promote financial inclusion in Pakistan's agriculture sector. The findings of this study have important implications for promoting financial inclusion in Pakistan's agriculture sector, which is a vital contributor to the country's economy. The study provides valuable insights for policymakers, investors, and fintech startups who are interested in leveraging fintech solutions to transform the sector and promote financial access and empowerment for underserved communities.

Outside of the box: Inspiring Women Among Us (IWAU) as public pedagogy on gender and inclusion via learning in community

December 6th marks the Montreal Massacre, and Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Universities often host actions around this date. In 2015, we sought to expand discussions on gender and equity by launching Inspiring Women Among Us or IWAU (www.iwau.ca). Our annual series of events includes talks, workshops, films, arts activities, movement, mentoring opportunities, and activism/actions. We build community through engaging with issues across the gender spectrum. Educational exchanges are key to IWAU but we do not label them as such. We work to showcase and support feminist, queer, and Indigenous individuals and organisations. Our events are low barrier, and we purposefully emphasise an informal atmosphere. We have responsively moved queerness, trans awareness, intersectionality, and learning from Indigenous leaders to our core. In this paper, we present research about participant experiences (2017) as collected via a self-administered survey (n=140). In discussing response patterns, key themes, and our interpretations, we consider IWAU as site of formal and informal educational exchanges. In design and practice, we stress inclusive opportunities outside of the classroom. According to participants, education and mentoring is occurring, formally and informally, as hoped. We share quotes about participant experiences of IWAU to illustrate how they experience exchanges and learning. Cognisant of work by Porter (2019) and others, we acknowledge the need for mutually-beneficial university-community relations. We discuss IWAU’s unique position/role as a bridge between university, community, scholarship and action. In contextualising results and interpretations, we foreground the persistent need for gender-related spaces, opportunities, and exchanges beyond formal learning scenarios, in a ‘knowledge democracy’. Adding to over 50 years of work (for recent examples, see Ahmed, Berdahl et al., Cheeks, Corbett, Moeke-Pickering et al.), we offer our case study as including elements that support adult education ‘outside of the box,’ for feminist futures.

Assessing motivations, benefits, and barriers of implementing virtual field experiences in geoscience-related disciplines

Outdoor field experiences have long been part of the traditional curriculum in geoscience-related disciplines and are considered a key aspect of professional development in these areas. When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancelation of many field excursions around the world, geoscience departments were forced to make abrupt changes to the ways students would be introduced to field study. Virtual field experiences, which were often utilized prior to COVID-19 in a variety of ways, including preparation for in-person fieldwork, increasing student interest, and increasing student accessibility, were developed and employed as alternative options to in-person field experiences. This embedded mixed-methods study used open, hierarchical coding schemes with referential category structure to code open-ended survey responses from 89 department heads and 27 instructors in geoscience-related departments across the U.S. The study was aimed at better understanding acceptance and familiarity with VFEs, motivations for use, and the benefits and barriers encountered during development and implementation. Binary quantitative data was collected to identify institution type, familiarity with, and motivation for the use of VFEs. Opportunities for student diversity, inclusion, and access for students from historically underrepresented groups (BIPOC, disabled students, women, and LGBTQ + students) were the most immediate benefits recognized. The most often cited barriers were time, skills, and resources needed to create VFEs and put them to use. As VFEs have been utilized in a variety of ways before and during COVID-19, it has become increasingly necessary to discuss the roles they will play going forward in academic and professional geoscience-related spaces.

Resourced provision in mainstream schools for students with special educational needs and/or disabilities: Inclusive service or safe space?

AbstractAlthough the number of resource provision (RP) classrooms for the education of students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in English mainstream schools has increased, very little is known about their functioning and impact. Through collaborative research, based on critical communicative methodology, this study aims to (i) evaluate with the participants the effective practices and challenges in educating students with SEND in RP and mainstream classrooms, and (ii) discuss the position of RP within the inclusion and exclusion debate. Reflective conversations, communicative focus groups and communicative observations were conducted with teachers, teaching assistants, mothers and students in three schools. Two different models were identified in the conceptualisation and practice of RP; either as a service to promote the education and inclusion of students with SEND in mainstream classroom/school, or as a space for specialised provision with opportunities for inclusion. These models reflect two different approaches in the education of these students, the rights‐ and the needs‐based approach respectively. We argue that RP as inclusive service should be prioritised. However, flexibility in its conceptualisation and functioning, either as inclusive service or safe space, can positively contribute towards a realistic approach to inclusion combining human rights and individual diversity perspectives.

Expanding opportunities for social language and social inclusion among adult learners

This article explores how research on the teaching of pragmatics, specifically as it relates to the use of explicit and implicit instruction, can serve as a guide for expanding the instruction of social language to immigrant students in Australia as well as other students. The curriculum and expectations from the Australian Migrant English Program (AMEP) are used as an example, but teachers working in similar programs can benefit as well. Several activities specific to explicit and implicit instruction are used to illustrate how to teach social language to learners from beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels of proficiency.

Expanding opportunities for social language and social inclusion among adult learners

This article explores how research on the teaching of pragmatics, specifically as it relates to the use of explicit and implicit instruction, can serve as a guide for expanding the instruction of social language to immigrant students in Australia as well as other students. The curriculum and expectations from the Australian Migrant English Program (AMEP) are used as an example, but teachers working in similar programs can benefit as well. Several activities specific to explicit and implicit instruction are used to illustrate how to teach social language to learners from beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels of proficiency.

Signaling Channels of Financial Service Digitalization for Financial Inclusion in Nigeria

Drawing support from the technology diffusion theory and technology acceptance model, this study examined how financial service digitalization contributed to the process of financial inclusion in Nigeria. Three financial technologies, POS, ATM, and web payment services, were selected based on their dominance and availability to numerous bank customers in various locations, including rural areas. On the other hand, financial inclusion was measured by access to financial services, with a focus on the number of bank branches across Nigeria. An ex -post facto research design was followed with the application of the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model to analyse the quarterly data obtained from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Statistical Bulletin. The findings showed that the POS and web payment services increased access to financial services and, in so doing, reduced the number of bank branches. This finding suggests that the availability of POS and web payment services is a prerequisite for financial inclusion while abridging the cost of banking transactions. In addition, it was found that ATM service is significant in promoting access to financial services. The implication of this finding is that increased availability of ATM service is associated with an increase in the number of bank branches, as most banks tend to situate their ATM galleries in their various branches for security and cost-effectiveness. In light of the findings, it is concluded that ATM technology is the most outstanding channel of finance service digitalization for financial inclusion in Nigeria. Thus, it is recommended that deposit money banks prioritise the provision of financial technology, especially ATMs, while scaling up their operational efficiency to create more opportunities for financial inclusion in Nigeria

The pandemic has brought opportunities for greater inclusion in science

Introdução: A pandemia da Covid-19 produziu um grande volume de dados científicos e fomentou práticas abertas de ciência em função do compartilhamento de dados para o controle do vírus Sars-CoV-2. Tal cenário gerou oportunidades para o movimento da Ciência Aberta (CA). Objetivo: O intuito deste artigo é mapear as narrativas circulantes sobre práticas de CA durante a pandemia – com destaque aos debates sobre acesso público ao conhecimento e a práticas e valores características de Equidade, Diversidade e Inclusão (EDI). Metodologia: Realizou-se análise documental e temática de 30 artigos científicos, notícias na imprensa, posts de blogs e materiais institucionais publicados em português obtidos mediante busca por palavras-chave no SciELO, Google e bibliotecas da Câmara e do Senado. Resultados: Observou-se que 36,6% (11) dos documentos mencionaram valores de EDI, enquanto 70% (21) incluíram discussões sobre acesso público e universal ao conhecimento. Os textos poderiam apresentar ambas as temáticas, sendo contabilizados tanto na categoria de EDI quanto de acesso público. Da amostra, 23% (7) não mencionaram nenhuma dessas duas categorias e 77% apresentaram ao menos uma delas. Conclusão: De modo geral, o uso da ciência aberta foi associado à rápida produção de respostas para a pandemia, o que levanta questões sobre a continuidade de práticas abertas em períodos em que essa urgência não esteja presente. Quanto ao debate sobre EDI, embora ainda incipiente, a pandemia apresenta oportunidades de coprodução do conhecimento e práticas mais inclusivas — com experiências de debates públicos em tempo real da construção de evidências.

PSYCHOMOTRICITY IN INCLUSIVE EDUCATION

The theme, psychomotricity, is very relevant mainly in the area of Early Childhood Education, a phase in which the child likes and is very interested in playing but can also be seen as a way to enrich the development of children with disabilities, therefore contributing to education inclusive. The education professional, not only the teacher, but everyone involved in this area must take advantage of and enrich the child’s taste for playing, seeking within this ludic field the opportunity for assertive inclusion. The objective of this work is to understand the contributions of psychomotricity, within Inclusive Education, aiming at development and working on the existing relationship between three aspects: Mind – Affection – Motor of all children. Psymotricity is a science of the body and mind, having as its starting point the psychological development of the child, that is, the elaboration of the “I” of the personality, of the body scheme, where the child learns to be aware of his own body and with that the possibility of expressing through this body. A poorly structured body schema results in a deficit in the subject-external world relationship, translating into: Perception: space-time structuring deficit; Motricity: clumsiness and incoordination in attitudes; Of the relationship with another: insecurity in this aspect, leading to the origin of affective disturbances, in addition to several other factors. Body movement is, without a doubt, therefore, a factor of great importance for the child. The process of appropriation, by the child, of his own body takes place in the context of relationships with others who support him, who offer him models, who encourage him, but who also limit, restrict and impede, coming against the idea of education with more equity.

(Trans)forming fitness: Intersectionality as a framework for resistance and collective action.

Fitness is a lifelong pursuit, yet many LGBTQ2S+ individuals are averse to group fitness or experiences in big box gyms. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual fitness programs offered the potential to facilitate opportunities for the greater inclusion of such individuals and the chance to connect, collaborate and advocate for a change in who and what defines fitness. Justice Roe, owner of Fit4AllBodies, utilizes the term fitness industrial complex to provide a framework to discuss the problems of exclusion. His explanation supports research documenting that bodies that are not "the norm", defined by ableism, classism, (hetero)patriarchy and racism, fueled by white supremacy, are oftentimes viewed as "less than" in the fitness and recreation world ( 1- 3). Applying an intersectional framework, this article explores the possibilities for transformative collective action in fitness communities that removes barriers and challenges the injustices that contribute to racialized LGBTQ2S+ individuals feeling unwelcome. With the need to shift to virtual training spaces as a result of a global pandemic, and the rise in the public discourse surrounding racial injustices both on and offline, a sense of belonging and community is important, especially among groups that often face exclusionary practices, such as racialized LGBTQ2S+ community members. These individuals are at greater risk of losing opportunities to access fitness programs that can provide immense health and psychological benefits. What could an intersectional perspective on resistance in sport look like? Using the example of LGBTQ2S+ access to online fitness spaces during the prolonged global COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020, we suggest that explicit coaching education and intentional communities, centered around social justice, are needed to address the historical roots of systemic oppression, accessibility, and social constructs tied to fitness.

The metaverse and Islamic financial contracts: The case of Ijarah

The metaverse is a virtual world that exists alongside the actual world. While the actual world refers to the real, physical world, the metaverse is a digital world that is accessed through technology. Evidently, several international brands have integrated their businesses with the virtual metaverse providing business opportunities. However, there are currently several gaps in the sector of Shariah finance that need to be addressed in order to take full advantage of the potential of the metaverse. For instance, rare studies enlighten the concept of Ijarah, a substitute for conventional leasing in the metaverse virtual world. Undoubtedly, the metaverse has the potential to revolutionize the Shariah finance industry by providing new opportunities for financial inclusion and innovation. Therefore, for the readiness of Islamic finance institutions, this study is an attempt to explore the possibility of executing Shariah principles that could be utilized in the metaverse. More specifically, this study is an endeavor to explore and discuss how Shariah-based leasing i.e., Ijarah integrates with the recent metaverse technologies. Additionally, this study also discusses the metaverse evolution and its integration into international business brands, the metaverse virtual assets ownership, the metaverse virtual leasing, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and virtual real estate in the metaverse. Indeed, this study is a novel addition to the Shariah finance literature, which helps policymakers to generate new strategies that guide the execution of Ijarah contracts in the virtual universe of the metaverse.

An Instructional Technology Facilitator’s Role in Culturally Responsive Pedagogy Using a Critical Race Theory Lens

The author of this article utilized a Critical Race Theory framework to evaluate the effectiveness of instructional technology and STEM opportunities for girls and students of color in their role as a K-5 Instructional Technology Facilitator (ITF). By defining Critical Race Theory, the role of the ITF can be leveraged to provide equitable and inclusive opportunities to learning environments. Rather than a focus on the technology tools themselves, this article offers an opportunity to explore the implicit biases that exist within each educator and leader to shift pedagogical practice and ensure that instructional technology and STEM is accessible to every student, especially those that have been historically marginalized. This article also offers an opportunity to shift thinking from technology being 'inherently good' to considering who is benefitting from technology and why. An ITF’s lens can influence a more inclusive practice for the classrooms they support and can be champions for culturally responsive Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to reach all students. Though the focus in this article is on the ITF role, concepts can also be applied to any coach or leadership role within a K-12 setting.

Using panopticism to theorize the social role of the body in competitive gaming and electronic sport

The role of the body is a common topic for discussions concerning competitive gaming, also known as electronic sport (esport). In esport, the focus on the body shifts from its physical presence towards digitality and therefore differs significantly compared to traditional sports. It is therefore questionable whether disciplinary mechanisms typical for sport that originate from the physical body being surveyed can be observed in competitive gaming as well. This conceptual paper uses Michel Foucault's concept of panopticism to theorize what consequences of deviant or normative behaviour can be derived from a (partially) absent physical corporeality in esport. Our approach reveals that esport and competitive gaming are lacking disciplinary mechanisms typical for traditional sports. We introduce the term dysopticon as a concept where players are not exposed to surveillance like in traditional sports, because of a perceived absence of the players’ physical bodies while competing. This can result in arbitrariness and deviant behaviour but also be an opportunity for inclusion or self-expression regardless of hegemonic corporeal norms and standards. Stakeholders, including players, clubs, associations, and corporations, can build upon these insights to develop and promote esport beneficially for sport and society.

Barriers to Physical Activity for Australian Students with Vision Impairment

ABSTRACT Physical activity (PA) is important for fitness and psychological health, and a way for young people to make friends and socialise. Young people with vision impairment (VI) are, however, are less likely to engage in PA. A range of personal, social, and environmental barriers prevent equitable participation for young people with VI. There is a dearth of research focused on the experiences of young people with VI and their participation in PA in Australia. Using the Physical Activity Barriers Questionnaire for children with Visual Impairments (PABQ-VI), this study identified barriers to PA from the perspectives of school-aged Australians with VI. Results demonstrated that despite holding positive views about PA and being motivated to be physically active, participants experienced many of the same barriers and lack of opportunities reported by children with VI around the world. These experiences place limits on the development of motor skills and impact self-confidence. Despite the swathe of legislation designed to protect the rights of people with disability, the findings suggest that there is much work to be done to create inclusive opportunities for youth with VI (particularly girls) to access PA and sport in Australian schools and communities.

GLOBAL PLATFORMS, LOCAL MARKETS: THE PLATFORMIZATION OF MEDIA AND PUBLISHING IN THE PHILIPPINES

The cultural industries have transformed due to processes of platformization (Poell et al., 2021). This paper examines the platformization of media and publishing in the Philippines, using Wattpad a case study. Wattpad has embedded itself in the Filipino media and publishing industries by developing partnerships with book publishers and television studios, and is transforming and adapting the local media industries. What opportunities exist for decolonization of media content in the platformization of the cultural industries in the Philippines? What are the conditions of the Filipino media landscape that contribute to the success of Wattpad’s pan-entertainment strategy in this territory? This paper brings together publishing studies, platform studies and media ecology and draws on interviews with Wattpad authors in the Philippines. It argues that post-colonial tensions play out in the dominant languages of traditional and platformed cultural production, Wattpad is creating opportunities for greater diversity and inclusion in Filipino book and media culture, and media products developed from Wattpad benefit from distinctly Filipino modes of reception.

Development of a Smart Home Interface With Older Adults: Multi-Method Co-Design Study.

Smart home technologies have the potential to support aging in place; however, older people's perceptions of the value of smart homes may be influenced by their access to the information gathered by the technology. This information is needed to support their informed decision-making. Limited research has been conducted on how best to design visualizations of smart home data in keeping with the needs and wishes of older people. We aimed to investigate the design options that impact the usefulness of smart home systems, older people's information needs, their perceptions of data visualization, and the ways they would like information displayed to them. We used a qualitative approach to empower the participants as co-designers. Data collection comprised a sequence of methods such as interviews, observation, focus groups, scenario design, probes, and design workshops. Each phase informed the next. Overall, 13 older adults (n=8, 62% female and n=5, 38% male; aged 65-89 years) consented to participate. A thematic approach was used to analyze the data set, and participants were actively involved in designing the in-home interface, which enabled them to better conceptualize their needs. The information collected was clustered into 5 themes: enabling home, health, and self-monitoring; enabling opportunities for social inclusion and engagement; enhancing cognitive abilities; customizability of the display; and promoting inclusion in recreation and leisure activities. These themes informed 5 design sessions in which participants co-designed visual metaphors for the themes based on their own experiences in an age-inclusive manner. Together, the participants produced a user-friendly prototype, which they chose to call My Buddy. They found it useful to receive social and cognitive triggers, as well as recommendations for special diets or activities based on their mood, health, and social status. Smart home data visualization is much more than a nice-to-have option. Visualization is a must-have feature because it deepens the understanding of the information collected and means that technology provides information of value and relevance to older people. This may improve the acceptability and perceived utility of in-home technology. By understanding what older people want to know from smart home technology and considering how to visualize data in ways that work for them, we can provide an appropriate in-home interface. Such an interface would suggest ways or opportunities to connect and socialize; stimulate contact with close friends or family members; maintain awareness of health and well-being; provide support in decision-making, cognitive tasks, and daily life activities; and monitor health status. Older adults are the best co-designers for the development of visual metaphors that resonate with their own experiences. Our findings promote the development of technologies that foreground and reflect the information needs of older people and engage them as designers of the display.

The future of the U.S. safety & health workforce: Opportunities for academic diversity, equity, and inclusion through a leak-proof career pathway

Introduction: In this commentary, we explore safety and health career pathways in the U.S. and discuss the future of work through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We address occupational safety and health inequities, including underrepresentation of racial and ethnic groups in academic disciplines, which impacts workers' safety and the future of work. We introduce the Accessibility, Sustainability, and Knowledge-Generation (ASK) framework to broaden minority participation in occupational safety and health (OSH) education. Method: The ASK framework integrates insights from learned experiences, research literature, accreditation knowledge, and community feedback to identify strategies for dismantling barriers to workforce diversity and promoting equitable participation and access to opportunities in OSH education. We conducted a US based survey to gain insights into the minority experience and the role of students, faculty, and academia in mitigating disparities and creating pathways of opportunities. Results: The survey results highlight the need for pedagogic improvements in OSH academic programs to attract more minorities. The appreciation of cultural competence across universities and changes to current systemic funding mechanisms are identified as crucial factors. We acknowledge that existing interventions have been less effective due to a lack of tangible actions. However, we emphasize that solutions exist, and meaningful support is required to drive change. Conclusions: The study underscores the importance of addressing occupational safety and health inequities and the underrepresentation of minority groups in OSH education. The ASK framework provides a comprehensive approach to broaden minority participation and promote diversity in the field. Pedagogic improvements, cultural competence, and changes to funding mechanisms are necessary steps to attract and retain underrepresented minorities in OSH academic programs. Practical Applications: The findings of this study have practical implications for institutions and stakeholders involved in occupational safety and health education. It emphasizes the need for proactive strategies to attract and support underrepresented minority students and faculty. Promoting cultural competence and making changes to funding mechanisms can contribute to creating more equitable and inclusive pathways for diverse groups in OSH education. Tangible actions and meaningful support are essential for driving change and achieving workforce diversity and equity.